South Africa says it’s been asked to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, after initially abstaining from a United Nations vote to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

On Friday, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa said he had been approached to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Mr Ramaphosa did not say who had asked for South Africa’s intervention.

“There are those who are insisting that we should take a very adversarial stance against Russia,” Mr Ramaphosa said. “The approach we are going to take [instead] is…insisting that there should be dialogue.”

On March 7, Mr Ramaphosa had said South Africa’s experience from apartheid contributed to it’s decision to abstain. He added that the country remained committed to upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.  

South Africa’s representative to the UN, Mathu Joyini, had explained to the emergency session that the resolution did not create a conducive setting for “diplomacy, dialogue, and mediation.”

The UN commanded Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders” following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. 

The majority of the 193 UN member states voted against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but 35 countries, including South Africa, abstained.